5 April 2012

not won

On 2 February it finally became clear that we (Jasper de Haan | Architects, Bas van Beek, Jeroen Kramer) did not win the competition for a new building for the Rietveld Academy.

We were a bit surprised. In absolute terms, we had the cheapest building and the largest building. We were also the only entry to stay within budget and the only one that managed to accommodate the full brief, including parking. But perhaps most importantly, our design was the only entry that actually forged the existing two separate buildings together into one new whole. One building, in other words, instead of three separate ones. So it would be down to architecture/urbanism.

Because perhaps you are also asking for trouble when you state in your explanation that you don't want to create an icon and you don't want authors. No design, no design.

" no 'icons', Wille zur Form, or 'authors'. It offers the simple but proven benefit of square metres and extensive height."

But no that either, because the jury report shows that the jury, consisting of Tijmen van Grootheest (chairman of the Board of Governors), Ben Zegers (director of Bachelors education), Jurgen Bey (director of Sandberg Institute, Annelies van Eenennaam (director of operations), Judith Kroon (head of facilities management), Jeroen Boomgaard (lecturer), Leanie van der Vyver (DesignLab student) and Malcom Smith (Zuidas supervisor), is actually very pleased with the design, the jury wrote among other things:



"The proposed connection between the Benthem Crouwel building and the new building is appreciated by the jury as a literal fulfilment of the demand for connection and cooperation between departments. This also applies to the approach to the outdoor space, i.e. the elevation of the entire site. In this way, one building is actually created."

A little further on in the jury report, it almost becomes a laudation.

"The plan offers a solution to the design problem, both in mentality and gesture, that can be called visionary. With its programmatic indeterminacy and flexibility, the design challenges the educational vision. ...... The fresh starting point of thinking and some clever partial solutions are appreciated."

But in the end, the jury's preference turned out to be for another plan under the name Fedlev. That was also the outright winner of the public survey, reportedly the deciding factor. It's still a shame, we would have loved to have built it.